It was my second time in Beijing, so I didn’t go to see the Great Wall and the other more famous places again. As my son was with me, we went to the Beijing Zoo instead.
As it was winter many of the animals, like the bears were asleep in the middle of the day.
But there were still those that my son were able to see wide awake!
Apart from the animals, the view inside the zoo was quite nice.
In the afternoon, we went to The Temple of Heaven, and I really enjoyed walking around the beautiful and quiet grounds.
My husband and my son at the entrance to The Temple of HeavenYoung Chinese women dressed as empresses
It was cold at -5C, but I loved walking around this place and I’d go again, in winter or fall, if I have the chance.
I took these photos yesterday when we went to the beach despite the warning on my weather app regarding the UV index being “extremely high.”
Xiamen Beach at Huandao South Road
I stayed in the shade, but there were many people, many are tourists, I suppose, who braved the heat, my husband, my son and my husband’s niece included.
I took several photos of the same scene, using different ways to frame the subject.
Like Amy I like using trees and their branches as frames.
Oxford Hotel, where I stayed in Singapore, is a 3-minute walk to the Bras Basah MRT station; it was quite convenient to take the MRT instead of calling a taxi. I bought a card from the 7-eleven store at the station. It costs 10SGD, but the card has 5SGD that one could use.
Bras Basah Station, Queen Street
You can easily top up your transportation card using either cash or bank card in a machine right at the station.
A selfie hahaha
Some MRT stations have escalators that move too fast for me. My young friend who’s Chinese but has been studying in Singapore for about 5 years, said she likes it. I’m old.
From and to the airport though I took a taxi as I didn’t want to drag my luggage with me.
Connectivity
One thing I really liked about being in Singapore is how easy it is to connect to the internet. There’s free Wi-Fi wherever you go. In the Philippines and in China you need to have a SIM card to connect to Wi-Fi as the provider will send you a code. But in Singapore you get free Wi-Fi hassle-free — in the hotel, malls, parks, airport.
Now you might think what would you need a Wi-Fi for when you’re traveling? Well, if you don’t have a SIM card that will allow you to make calls when you need to make calls, having Wi-Fi will let you do just that using WhatsApp or WeChat or whatever it is you’re using.
And of course, if you don’t like asking people for directions you can always use an app to help you find your way.
Singapore is truly tourist-friendly.
Update: Right now I’m in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and you can have free Wi-Fi even without a SIM card. (July 25, 2023)
In June I went to Singapore for a conference where I presented a paper. It was my second time in Singapore; the first time I went in 2016, I only stayed 2 days and didn’t get to see much of the city. This time I stayed 5 days, and had more time to walk around and visit places.
I’ll be writing about my trip and share photos I’ve taken. This is the first part, and it’s about the churches I went to.
I stayed in a hotel along Queen Street, which to me is like the church street as there are several churches so close to each other. The hotel I stayed in is right next to the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. I arrived at the hotel around 3pm and was able to attend the mass at 6pm.
Church of Saints Peter and PaulMass at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul
On the third day, after an afternoon of going around Bugis Junction which is a 10-minute walk from the hotel, I passed by St. Joseph Church which is also in Queen Street and saw that the lights were on. It was almost 6pm. When I went in, the mass was about to start, so I stayed.
St. Joseph’s Church, Queen StreetSt. Joseph’s ChurchSt. Joseph’s ChurchStatue of St. Michael the Archangel (Patron Saint of my city in the Philippines)
Then on Saturday after the conference ended at around 4 P.M, I took the MRT at Esplanade station (the conference was at The NUSS Graduate Club at Suntec City Tower 5) and got off at Bras Basah Station (just one stop) which is a 3-minute walk to the hotel. When I passed by the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, I learned there was a mass at 6 PM, and so I attended mass again.
That was 3 masses in one week. It was so long ago when I used to go to mass several times a week. But the proximity of the church just made attending mass so convenient. In China I would have to take a 45-minute bus ride and 30-minute ferry ride.
No, it’s not just churches I visited in Singapore. I did go to some exciting places, and I’ll write about those places in the next post. I need time. Time is a luxury.
While I never and will never think of myself as “sweet,” the fact that my husband likes to take photos of me even when my back is turned makes me think I’m blessed to marry a man who thinks I am. Lol.
He likes taking pictures of me, especially candid ones. I know he finds my facial expressions funny, and I’m like a comedian to him, but I especially like the ones he takes of me when I’m not aware of what he’s doing, like the ones above.
These two were taken just this weekend while we’re on holiday in the Philippines.
I’m back from a much needed break. I went to Singapore and spent time with friends, visited Gardens by the Bay and took photos of the flowers in the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest.
I had promised myself and my husband that after this trip, I would focus on working on a project that needs my undivided attention for it to be completed this year. This means I have to forgo my hobby of writing for now, and that means no WordPress.
Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you enjoy viewing these photos I took in Singapore. Until we meet again. 🙂
I’m on holiday. Sort of. I’m home for 7 weeks. And this is the end of the second week. I’m on holiday from work which means I’m a full-time mom, and because I’m home, I am also daughter, sister, aunt. It’s great being with family, but being home means I am hardly ever alone. I’m enjoying being surrounded by family and being busy living, but I sure miss being quiet and thinking.
Today I went for an early morning swim with my sister and my niece. I spent a couple of minutes just floating on my back and looking up at the sky and just … looking up at the blue, blue sky. It was nice.
The time to think will come. For the next 5 weeks, I’ll just enjoy living.
It rained last night, but we had beautiful weather this morning.
Thoughts on Life 